Your acupuncture session -
Your first treatment
takes somewhat longer as I will need to take a full medical history from you. This will include any details on current or past medication,
operations, accidents etc. Your family history is also recorded at this time. Following this we collect physical data pertaining
to your blood pressure, weight, skin tone and occasionally a urine sample may be requested.
You will then be left to undress to your under garments (if required) so that acupuncture treatments can commence. Five Element procedure generally requires that the first treatment be a general 'draining' of energies that may be causing an imbalance, this is a very gentle session involving needles placed on the your back.
Acupuncture points are swabbed with medical Steriwipes prior to any needle insertion. The needles may be left in place for a period of time or removed immediately. This is dictated by the practitioners evaluation of your condition.
Prior, during and after treatment the acupuncturist will take a 'reading' of your pulses. This is not the same as your GP would do as an acupuncturist is trained to look for minute changes in the pulses that can indicate physiological conditions. Pulse taking is generally taken on both wrists.
Another technique of the acupuncturist is Moxibustion. This involves heating the relevant acupuncture points
with smoldering mounds of 'moxa' a herb of the genus Artemesia Vulgaris. Whilst this may sound somewhat frightening it is actually
very relaxing for the patient.
Some acupuncture treatments may require the use of electro-stimulation using tiny currents of electricity passed through the acupuncture needle. Again, its not as bad as it sounds and all that is felt is a mild tingling in the area treated.
As a general guide, I prefer my patients to have five treatments and then a reassessment of the conditions. Overall improvement may then lead to the treatments being spread further apart until they are no longer needed. Traditionally, patients who are free of symptoms choose to have 'seasonal' treatments.
